WA R N I N G
Dry off brakes that have become wet by
driving slowly, releasing the accelerator
pedal and lightly applying the brakes
several times until the brake performance
returns to normal:
Driving with wet brakes is dangerous.
Increased stopping distance or the vehicle
pulling to one side when braking could
result in a serious accident. Light braking
will indicate whether the brakes have been
affected.
▼ Aluminum Wheel Maintenance
A protective coating is provided over the
aluminum wheels. Special care is needed
to protect this coating.
CAUTION
Do not use any detergent other than mild
detergent. Before using any detergent,
verify the ingredients. Otherwise, the
product could discolor or stain the
aluminum wheels.
NOTE
Do not use a wire brush or any abrasive
cleaner, polishing compound, or solvent
on aluminum wheels. They may damage
the coating.
Always use a sponge or soft cloth to
clean the wheels.
Rinse the wheels thoroughly with
lukewarm or cold water. Also, be sure to
clean the wheels after driving on dusty
or salted roads to help prevent
corrosion.
▼Convertible Top (Soft Top)
Maintenance
The convertible top is made of a special
high-grade material, but if it's not taken
good care of, hardening, staining, and loss
of luster will result. Maintain it under
these guidelines.
Wa s h i n g
Do not wait until the convertible top gets
really dirty before cleaning it. Dirt that's
there too long will cause deterioration.
1. Before washing, remove dust and
coarse particulate with a soft brush.
2. Gently clean the convertible top with a
synthetic neutral detergent, lots of
water, and a soft brush.
3. Rinse it thoroughly with clean water to
remove all the soap.
4. Wipe it as dry as you can before the
water dries on it.
5. Then allow it to dry completely before lowering it.
CAUTION
Automatic and high-pressure car washes
are harmful to a convertible top. Avoid
them.
Do not spray water directly on the area
where the window glass and the
convertible top meet. This would
probably cause water to enter the cabin.
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
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▼Plastic Part Maintenance
CAUTION
Do not use polishing agents.
Depending on the product ingredients,
they could cause discoloration, stains,
cracks or peeling of the coating.
▼Instrument Panel Top Maintenance
1. Wipe the soiled area with a soft cloth
soaked in a mild detergent (approx.
5%) diluted with water.
2. Wipe off the remaining detergent using
a cloth soaked in clean water and
wrung out well.
▼Panel Maintenance
If a panel becomes soiled, wipe it off with
a soft cloth soaked in clean water and
thoroughly wrung out.
If some areas require further cleaning, use
the following procedure:
1. Wipe the soiled area with a soft cloth
soaked in a mild detergent (approx.
5 %) diluted with water.
2. Wipe off the remaining detergent using a cloth soaked in clean water and
wrung out well.
NOTE
Be particularly careful when cleaning
shiny surface panels and metallic parts
such as plating as they can be scratched
easily.
▼Cleaning the Window Interiors
If the windows become covered with an
oily, greasy, or waxy film, clean them with
glass cleaner. Follow
the directions on the
container.
CAUTION
Do not scrape or scratch the inside of the
window glass. It could damage the
thermal filaments.
When washing the inside of the window
glass, use a soft cloth dampened in
lukewarm water, gently wiping the
thermal filaments.
Use of glass cleaning products could
damage the thermal filaments.
▼ Cleaning the Floor Mats
Rubber floor mats should be cleaned with
mild soap and water only.
WA R N I N G
Do not use rubber cleaners, such as tire
cleaner or tire shine, when cleaning rubber
floor
mats:
Cleaning the rubber floor mats with rubber
cleaning products makes the floor mats
slippery.
This may cause an accident when
depressing the accelerator, brake, or clutch
(Manual transmission) pedal or when
getting in or out of the vehicle.
After removing the floor mats for
cleaning, always reinstall them securely
(page 3-51).
Maintenance and Care
Appearance Care
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WA R N I N G
Do not allow children to touch the tire
sealant:
Ingestion of tire sealant is dangerous. In
the event tire sealant is accidentally
swallowed, drink large amounts of water
immediately and seek medical
assistance.
Tire sealant that comes into contact with
the eyes and skin is dangerous. If tire
sealant enters the eyes or contacts the
skin, flush immediately with large
amounts of water and seek medical
assistance.
NOTE
The tire sealant cannot be reused.
Purchase new tire sealant at an
Authorized Mazda Dealer.
The emergency flat tire repair kit cannot
be used in the following cases.
Consult an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
The period of effective use for the tire
sealant has expired. (The period of
effectiveness is indicated on the bottle
label.)
The tear or puncture exceeds about 4
mm (0.16 in).
The damage has occurred to an area
of the tire other than the tread.
The vehicle has been driven with
nearly no air remaining in the tire.
The tire has come off the wheel rim.
Damage to the wheel rim has
occurred.
The tire has two or more punctures.
▼ Using the Emergency Flat Tire
Repair Kit
U.S.A. and Canada
1. Move the vehicle off the right-of-way
to a safe place on a level and hard
surface where the vehicle does not
obstruct traffic.
2. Shift the shift lever to the 1 or Reverse (R) position for a manual transmission,
and shift the selector lever to the P
position for an automatic transmission.
3. Apply the parking brake with the brake pedal depressed and turn off the
engine.
4. If necessary, flash the hazard warning
lights and set up the roadside
emergency triangle.
5. Unload passengers and cargo and
remove the emergency flat tire repair
kit.
Hardtop modelSoft top model
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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2. Shift the shift lever to the 1 or Reverse(R) position for a manual transmission,
and shift the selector lever to the P
position for an auto matic transmission.
3. Apply the parking brake with the brake
pedal depressed and turn off the
engine.
4. If necessary, flash t he hazard warning
lights and set up the roadside
emergency triangle.
5. Unload passengers and cargo and
remove the emergency flat tire repair
kit.
Hardtop modelSoft top model
6. Shake the tire sealant well.
CAUTION
If the bottle is shaken after the injection
hose is screwed on, tire sealant could
spray out from the injection hose. Tire
sealant contacting clothing or other
objects may be impossible to remove.
Shake the bottle before screwing on the
injection hose.
NOTE
The sealant hardens easily and
injecting it will be difficult under cold
weather conditions (0 °C (32 °F) or
below). Warm the sealant inside the
vehicle to facilitate injection.
7. Remove the cap from the bottle. Screw
on the injection hose with the bottle's
inner cap left on to break the inner cap.
Cap
Injection hose
Tire sealant
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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▼Inspecting the Em
ergency Flat Tire
Repair Kit
Inspect the emergency flat tire repair kit at
regular intervals.
Check the tire sealant period of effective
use.
Check the operation of the tire
compressor.
NOTE
The tire sealant has a period of effective
use. Check the period of effective use
indicated on the bottle label and do not
use it if it has expired. Have the tire
sealant replaced at an Authorized Mazda
Dealer before the period of effective use
has expired.
Changing a Tire
WA R N I N G
Be sure to follow the directions for
changing a tire:
Changing a tire is dangerous if not done
properly. The vehicle can slip off the jack
and seriously injure someone.
No person should plac e any portion of their
body under a vehicle that is supported by a
jack.
Never allow anyone inside a vehicle
supported by a jack:
Allowing someone to remain in a vehicle
supported by a jack is dangerous. The
occupant could cause the vehicle to fall
resulting in serious injury.
NOTE
Make sure the jack is well lubricated
before using it.
1. Park on a hard, level surface off the
right-of-way and firml y set the parking
brake.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic
transmission in Pa rk (P), a manual
transmission in Reverse (R) or 1, and
turn off the engine.
3. Turn on the hazard warning flasher.
4. Have everyone get out of the vehicle and away from the vehicle and traffic.
5. Remove the jack and tool (page 7-3).
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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6. Block the wheel diagonally oppositethe tire to be chang ed. When blocking
a wheel, place a tire block both in front
and behind the tire.
NOTE
When blocking a tire, use rocks or
wood blocks of sufficient size if
possible to hold the tire in place.
▼ Removing a Tire
WA R N I N G
When jacking-up a vehicle, always shift the
shift lever to 1st or R (manual transmission
vehicle) or shift the selector lever to P
(automatic transmission vehicle), apply the
parking brake, and place wheel blocks in
the position diagonally opposed to the
jack:
Changing a
flat tire without using wheel
blocks is dangerous because the vehicle
may move and fall off the jack even with
the shift lever in 1st or R, or the select lever
is in P, which could result in an accident.
1. Loosen the lug nuts by turning them counterclockwise one turn each, but do
not remove any lug nuts until the tire
has been raised off the ground.
2. Place the jack on the ground.
3. Turn the jack screw in the directionshown in the figure and adjust the jack
head so that it is close to the jack-up
position.
Jack head
If Trouble Arises
Flat Tire
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Starting a Flooded Engine
If the engine fails to start, it may be
flooded (excessive fuel in the engine).
Follow this procedure:
1. If the engine does not start within fiveseconds on the first try, wait ten
seconds and try again.
2. Make sure the parking brake is on.
3. Depress the accelerator all the way and hold it there.
4. Depress the clutch pedal (Manual transmission) or the brake pedal
(Automatic transmission), then press
the push button start. If the engine
starts, release the accelerator
immediately because the engine will
suddenly rev up.
5. If the engine fails to start, crank it
without depressing the accelerator.
If the engine still does not start using the
previous procedure, have your vehicle
inspected by an Authorized Mazda Dealer.
Push-Starting
Do not push-start your Mazda.
WA R N I N G
Never tow a vehicle to start it:
Towing a vehicle to start it is dangerous.
The vehicle being towed could surge
forward when its engine starts, causing the
two vehicles to collide. The occupants
could be injured.
CAUTION
Do not push-start a vehicle that has a
manual transmission. It can damage the
emission control system.
NOTE
You cannot start a vehicle with an
automatic transmission by pushing it.
If Trouble Arises
Emergency Starting
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Overheating
If the high engine coolant temperature
warning light turns on, the vehicle loses
power, or you hear a loud knocking or
pinging noise, the engine is probably too
hot.
WA R N I N G
Pull over to a safe location, then switch
the ignition off and make sure the fan is
not running before attempting to work
near the cooling fan:
Working near the cooling fan when it is
running is dangerous. The fan could
continue running indefinitely even if the
engine has stopped and the engine
compartment temperature is high. You
could be hit by the fan and seriously
injured.
Do not remove either cooling
system cap when the engine and radiator
are hot:
When the engine and radiator are hot,
scalding coolant and steam may shoot out
under pressure and cause serious injury.
Open the hood ONLY after steam is no
longer escaping from the engine:
Steam from an overheated engine is
dangerous. The escaping steam could
seriously burn you.
If the high engine c oolant temperature
warning light turns on:
1. Drive safely to the side of the road and park off the right-of-way.
2. Put a vehicle with an automatic transmission in park (P), a manual
transmission in neutral.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Turn off the air conditioner.
5. Check whether coolant or steam is
escaping from the engine
compartment.
If steam is coming from the engine
compartment:
Do not go near the front of the vehicle.
Stop the engine.
Wait until the steam dissipates, then
open the hood and start the engine.
If neither coolant nor steam is
escaping:
Open the hood and idle the engine
until it cools.
CAUTION
If the cooling fan does not operate
while the engine is running, the engine
temperature will increase. Stop the
engine and call an Authorized Mazda
Dealer.
6. Make sure the cooling fan is operating, then turn off the engine after the
temperature has decreased.
If Trouble Arises
Overheating
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